10 Best Movies Of 2022, So Far – CBR – Comic Book Resources

From legacy sequels to directorial debuts, several films have risen to the top of 2022’s new releases, fighting to become the year’s best movies.
2022 is half-way finished, and so far, there have been some massive film hits. On the other hand, there have been noticeable misses. There are still some highly-anticipated films to come like Jordan Peele’s third film, Nope, and Olivia Wilde’s new, mysterious film starring Harry Styles, Don’t Worry Darling.
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Some of 2022’s best have been topping the box office, while some have flown under the radar and deserve more attention than they’ve received. From legacy sequels to directorial debuts, there’s a massive range of shining stars among this year's releases.
Thirty-six years after Top Gun, Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick premiered at the end of April at CinemaCon and was released in theaters shortly after. It received nearly universal critical acclaim, with many critics believing it to be even better than the original film.
Maverick stars original cast members Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, as well as new additions Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, and Glen Powell. It follows Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise), now training a group of new TOPGUN graduates. Among them is Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, the son of Maverick's best friend who'd passed away years earlier.
Now A24’s top-grossing film of all time, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and Ke Huy Kwan as a Chinese-American family running a struggling laundromat. In a wild course of events, Yeoh’s character (Evelyn) is pulled into another universe by an alternate version of her husband, Waymond (Kwan) to save the multiverse.
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Considered by many critics to be the best multiverse movie of all time, the film was written and directed by the directing duo known as DANIELS, known for their film Swiss Army Man. Everything Everywhere is still earning at the box office and many believe it will receive attention during awards season.
When Robert Pattinson’s casting as the new Batman was announced, there was some hesitation concerning his ability to effectively capture Bruce Wayne's character. When The Batman was released, Pattinson proved he was one of the best Batmans ever.
Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman also stars Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman and Paul Dano as The Riddler, both in equally incredible performances. The film also boasts a stellar score by Michael Giacchino and stunning cinematography from Academy Award winner Greig Fraser.
Mimi Cave’s directorial debut, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan, is the horror-comedy Fresh. Like its title, it’s a fresh take on horror comedies, more subdued in its comedy, but still offering some humor. Fresh investigates the difficulties women face when dating in today’s world, from men who are simply undesirable to men who are downright dangerous.
Sebastian Stan has an especially impressive performance with his character being incredibly charming in the first act, until the twist of the second act. Then, he completely flips the switch on his performance, garnering comparisons to terrifying serial killers.
Robert Eggers’ third film, The Northman, had an impressive ensemble cast that included Alex Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, and Anya Taylor-Joy. Swedish actor Skarsgård had always been fascinated with Viking history and wanted to make a Viking film for several years. When he met with Eggers, they decided it would become Eggers’ next film.
The Northman is based on the Viking legend of Amleth (the character Skarsgård plays) which is also the direct inspiration for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The Northman is a dark revenge story many people missed out on, but it’s worth a watch for its performances and intense visuals.
Written, directed, produced by, and starring Cooper Raiff, Cha Cha Real Smooth released on Apple TV+ in mid-June. This under-the-radar film written, also starring Dakota Johnson and Leslie Mann, followed college graduate Andrew (Raiff). Unsure of his post-graduate plans, Andrew meets and becomes close to a young mother named Domino (Johnson) and her autistic daughter, Lola.
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This heartfelt film captures the feeling of drifting through life after graduating from college and wondering where to go next, while capturing how alluring stability can appear. Raiff and Johnson’s performances are excellent, as is Raiff’s writing and direction.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is an action-comedy directed by Tom Gormican, starring Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal and Tiffany Haddish. It features Cage playing a fictionalized version of himself, struggling to find work. Pascal plays Javi, a billionaire from Majorca, who offers Cage $1 Million to appear at his birthday party
Haddish plays Vivian, a CIA agent who employs Cage as a secret agent because they believe Javi is running a crime ring. The film is full of action and hilarity, and Pascal and Cage have great chemistry together. Their characters eventually form a tight bromance over their love of film despite Cage’s secret CIA engagements.
David Cronenberg’s first film in eight years, Crimes of the Future stars Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart. Falling into the science fiction and body horror genres, the film takes place in a future where climate change results in most humans losing the ability to feel pain, while others develop the ability to grow new organs.
As he often grows new organs, Saul (Mortensen) and his partner, Caprice, become performance artists where they surgically remove Saul’s new organs in front of audiences. While the Crimes of the Future is certainly disturbing in Cronenberg fashion, it's also beautiful at times and delivers striking moments of technical achievements. The visual effects are well-done and the multiple meanings behind the story make it worth watching.
Sam Raimi’s first time revisiting the superhero genre since Spider-Man 3, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is also his introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The sequel to Doctor Strange, and the MCU’s continued exploration of the multiverse, it stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Xochitl Gomez, and Elizabeth Olsen in her followup to WandaVision.
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Raimi brings his unique style to the MCU and a touch of horror, making this one of the scariest MCU films yet. What this movie lacks in story, it makes up for in visuals and performances from its main cast.
Coming to theaters in May 2022, the Jackass crew reunites after twelve years for Jackass Forever. It features the majority of the original cast as well as new faces, including Zach Holmes, Jasper Dolphin, and Rachel Wolfson.
While Jackass films aren't for everyone, they're often a source of nostalgia for those who've been watching them since their youth. Seeing Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O back up to their old antics, although ramped up in this new installment, makes Jackass Forever one of the year’s best films so far.
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Wenona is a writer living on unceded Syilx territory in British Columbia, Canada. She likes movies that are a little weird.
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